Online Contests provide incentivized interaction that can drive traffic to your site and generate new email leads. But do you know how to run a contest? Are you thinking of launching a giveaway but aren’t sure how to go about it? Read below!
How To Create & Run Successful Online Contests?
Below are the five important steps to create and run a successful online contest:
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Step 1: Before the Online Contests
Send a reminder the day before your contest begins with the phrase “First things first.” If you don’t want your content to flop and cost you more money than it generates in new leads, planning is essential, just like any other marketing effort.
Take the time to clearly explain your plan so that you can help ensure contest success. Online Contests are a tried-and-true strategy for expanding your business, but before launching one, focus on the following:
- When to run a contest?
- What kind of campaign to run?
- How much work should they put in to enter the contest?
- Determine a goal
- Set a budget
Step 2: Setting Up The Online Contests
Once the basic campaign strategy has been determined.
It’s time to design your contest and get it ready for publication.
Craft awesome copy
Before any design work, start by writing the copy — the words you’ll use to convince people to sign up for your contest.
Keeping the copy short and conversational is the key to higher engagement. Keep people from guessing what your contest is about!
- Use bullet points
- In the bolded text to emphasize the benefits of signing up.
- Pay extra attention to your headlines and calls to action.
Create a dedicated landing page for capturing leads
For the landing page, you must include these six fundamental elements:
- Attention-grabbing headline.
- A graphic of your prize.
- Entry & prize info.
- Contest entry form.
- Clear call-to-action.
- Social proof & social share.
Step 3: Promoting The Contest
This is undeniably an essential part of making sure your contest performs well.
Contest success depends mainly on your marketing efforts.
Refrain from assuming you will receive traffic because the page is designed beautifully or the prize is highly desired.
Start by announcing your upcoming contest in a few weeks to build anticipation. You can inform your audience and begin to create a buzz.
Send a reminder the day before your contest begins with the contest links.
During the contest, post frequent updates:
- Contest’s starting and ending date
- Contest entry details
- Image of the prize
- Incentive details
- Call-to-action
Add a link from the home page of your website by including links or widgets on your home page. You can ensure that everyone who visits your website has the chance to enter the contest.
Send your current list an email newsletter to let them know about the competition. One of the best methods for contacting your audience is still email.
Send out an email newsletter to your existing subscribers. From the home page of your website, add a link.
Add a link from your website home page. By this, you can ensure that everyone who visits your website has the chance to enter the contest.
Send your current list an email newsletter to let them know about the competition.
One of the best methods for reaching your audience is still email.
Send out an email newsletter to your existing subscribers.
Spread the word on social networks
You should promote your contest on social networks like Facebook, Pinterest, Google+, Twitter, etc. Tweet, post and share to as many social networks as you can.
Write a blog post
Create a well-written, in-depth blog article on your competition, then circulate it throughout your online groups.
Add the relevant links to help people find your contest page from your blog post.
Promote the contest on forums and communities
Make your contest announcement there if you participate in a relevant online community and it is there.
Reach out to influential bloggers
Do your research and only contact blogs in your area of expertise. Instead of pushing your offer, make hints about the advantages for their readers.
Use PPC to drive more entries via Facebook Ads, Twitter Ads, and Google AdWords.
Ad spending is optional to conduct a profitable contest. However, if you have the money to spend on advertising, making ads that are carefully targeted at your audience’s demographics will help boost your contest.
You can promote your contest through sponsored advertising in one of two ways:
- Create an audience if you are starting with a contest and have none.
- Evaluate contest concepts before making them available to a large audience.
Step 5: After the Contest
Now that the contest is over, it’s time to let your viewers know who won (s). Try to keep your audience interested in your announcement and business by running regular promotions.
Choose the winner(s)
Immediately notify the winner(s) and request their consent to use their image in the announcement and any potential future marketing materials.
Announce the winner(s)
To showcase the contest winner, update the current contest page or create a new landing page (s). Make a big deal out of announcing the winner.
Send out the prize
If it’s a digital prize, send an email with the prize download link and a personalized thank you. Send it out in a beautifully packaged box if it’s a physical prize.
Add emails to your subscriber list.
For additional marketing, export the emails of your freshly acquired audience to third-party services.
Leave up the landing page.
Keep the contest landing page up forever and use it to generate leads after the event by adding pertinent calls to action for your company. We continue to receive a tonne of traffic to our previous contest sites.
Announce the next contest
Announce plans for your next contest to entice your freshly acquired audience to keep informed. Are you going to hold a contest each month? Once every two months? Keep your audience interested by informing them!
